PM: Thailand backs UN reform, peaceful approach to Cambodia dispute
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reaffirmed Thailand’s neutral stance and called for reform of the United Nations to ensure all countries have an equal right to participate in shaping the future of the international community.
Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York at 5.30pm local time on Thursday, Mr Anutin, also interior minister, delivered Thailand’s national statement under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All”.
As the UN marks its 80th anniversary, he said the world needs to restore confidence in the multilateral system, beginning with the building of trust between nations through cooperation and sincerity rather than coercion.
Thailand proposes starting with smaller groups of countries before expanding cooperation more broadly, he said, so that countries that have previously lacked a platform can have their voices heard and are not left behind.
In Thailand’s view, peace means more than simply the absence of war. It must also involve constructive cooperation, respect for the law and the creation of security that genuinely benefits people, said Mr Anutin.
On the Thai-Cambodian border dispute, he stood firm that Thailand has chosen bilateral negotiations and mechanisms under international law to resolve the issue peacefully.
He also stressed that proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are limited to maritime boundary delimitation and have no bearing on Thailand’s sovereignty over its land territory.
The prime minister also addressed the situations in Palestine and Myanmar, reaffirming Thailand’s support for peace, reconciliation and constructive approaches to resolving conflict.
He added Thailand is ready to work with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to prevent and suppress drug trafficking, transnational crime and cybercrime.
“An international order based on rules, together with the participation of all countries in shaping our shared future, will be crucial to restoring trust,” Mr Anutin said.
He called on all countries to work together to turn trust into tangible outcomes for the people.
Source – Bangkok News
